Paste-applying device for cigarette machines



Sept.-;-.Z;0j, 1938. J. WQLEARY 2,130,689

PASTE APPLYING DEVICE FOR CIGARETTE MACHINES Filed March 5, 1935 INVENTOR I Patented Sept. 20, 1938 PASTE-APPLYING nnvrca r'on creeper-rs memes James W. Leary, Bloomfield, N. 3., assignor to American Machine & Foundry Company, a corporation of New Jersey application March 5, 1935, Serial No. 9A1? 13 Glaims.

This invention relates to improvements in cigarette machine pasters, its main object being to provide a paste-applying device suitable for varlous types of paste and all speeds of operation.

.5 To permit the operation of cigarette machine pasters at high speeds it has been found necessary to make use of the gear-pump principle by which the paste is scooped in definite amounts from a paste receptacle and delivered under pressure through a nozzle to the cigarette paper margin of the traveling cigarette rod. In previous paster constructions utilizing this gear-pump principle there have been provided a pair of intermeshing paste delivery gears coacting to deliver paste to the nozzle, and a pair of intermeshing paste pick-up gears which receive paste between their teeth from the receptacle and deliver an oversupply of paste to the spaces between the intermeshing teeth of the delivery gears in order to insure their filling without the formation of air looks 'or pockets. It is an object of thisinvention to eliminate the necessity of these paste pick-up gears, and to this end a single set of paste delivery gears is located under the outlet of the paste receptacle which is provided with a propeller acting to force the paste down into the spaces between the meshing teeth of the gears and.fill the same without cavitation.

In the prior pester constructions, furthermore, whatever amount of paste was once caught between the teeth of the 'delivery gears, that very same amount was fed through the nozzle and there was no way of controlling either its pressure or flow. 7 V

Another object of the invention, therefore, is to enable controlling of the pressure of the paste delivered to'the nozzle." To this end the gears feed the paste to the nozzle through a delivery duct which is connected tothe paste receptacle 40 by a by-pass provided with an adjustable relief valve Accordingly, the valve will open when the pressure of the paste in the orifice exceeds that determined by the setting of the relief valve:

and thus the gears may feed an oversupply to stripe applied to the cigarette paper by the nozzle. To effect the same the nozzle carries a plug having a, narrow slot, whereby the width of the stripe may be readily varied by rotating the nozzle'to bring the slot out ofvertical position.

With these and other objects not specifically mentioned in view, the invention consists in certain constructions and combinations hereinafter fully described and then specifically set forth in the claims hereunto appended. In the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification and in which like characters or reference indicate the same or like parts:

Fig, 1 is a' sectional side applying device;

Fig. 2 is an and elevation of the same, seen from its delivery end;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 4 is a sectional end elevation illustrating the pressure control mechanism; and

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the feeding nozzle.

In. carrying the invention into effect there is elevation of the paste provided a paste reservoir having an outlet in its bottom, a' gear-housing beneath said outlet, a set of intermeshing gears in said housing arranged below said outlet to receive paste therefrom and force it through a delivery duct in the housing terminating in a. discharge orifice leading to a nozzle, clamped on the housing. In the best constructions contemplated the said-gears deliver an oversupply of paste to said orifice, the surplus paste being returned to the reservoir through a by-pass controlled by an adjustable relief valve which may be set to assure a uniform flow of paste to the nozzle; and a rotary propeller is provided within the reservoir to force the paste stored therein down between the meshing teeth of the gears and thus prevent cavitation of the paste in the spaces between the meshing teeth.

These various means and parts may be widely varied in construction within the scope of the claims,'for the particular device selected to illustrate the invention is but one of many possible concrete embodiments of the same. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted to the specific construction shown and described.

The paste applying device consists of a reservoir or pot is on the base H of which is mounted a gear-housing i2 provided with a chamber it which covers the outlet formed in the bottom of the reservoir iii (Fig. 1). Within the chemher l8 of gear-housing ii are located a pair of .gears it and it meshing with each other and operating on the gear pump principle to scoop sure.

the paste in definite amounts from the outlet of the paste reservoir it and deliver the paste under pressure through a delivery duct II in housing l2 and an orifice between said duct and a nozzle I! to the overlap edge of the cigarette paper on the traveling cigarette red C (Fig. i). The duct it is suitably arranged to receive the paste directly as it is forced out from between the meshing teeth of the gears ll and I and conduct it tothenozzle l1. I'brthismirposetheinletof the delivery duct may be disposed adjacent the point where the gear teeth as shownclearly in Figs. 1 and 4'.

Gear II is fastened to a horizontal idler shaft paste to and prevents cavitation between the meshing teeth of the ,gears I3 and il even though viscous starch paste of jelly-like consistency is used, agitators 24 serve the P 9 of continuously stirring the mass of paste 1? in the receptacle It. It should be understood that the agitator 24 may be omitted when less viscous paste is used.

The bore -of the nozzle l'l commimicates with extrusion orifice at the discharge end of the duct it in housing l2, (Fig.1) and the home I! is adjustably clamped against the extrusion orifice of the housing by means of a forked clamp lever 25 fulcrumed on a pair of lugs 26 of the receptacle ill. The upper end of the lever 25 males 9. thumb screw 21 by means of which its forked end is held pressed against the nozzle II.

In the outer end of the bore ofthe nozzle i1 is inserted a plug IIa haying a narrow slot 28. Upon loosening thumb screw 21 the nozzle II can be turned by grasping a handle bar 29 to swing the slot 28 from a vertical position to a more or less inclined position, thus v y ng the width of the stripe of paste applied to the traveling cigarette paper strip (see dotted position of nozzle I! in Fig. 5).

In order to control the pressure of the paste forced through the nozzle II, the gears i4 and i5 coact to feed an oversupply of paste through the duct l6 which is connectedwith the paste receptacle It by means of a lay-pass 30 which communicates with a horizontal tap leading from the duct It as shown in Fig. 4. This by-pass is ordinarily closed by a ball-valve or other type of relief valve 3| in the tap, (Fig. 4) under the pressure of a spring 32. The pressure of spring 32 against the ball-valve 3| can be regulated by means of an adjusting screw 33 so that the relief valve will open when the pressure of the paste in the orifice exceeds that desired, thus permitting control of the pressure of the paste fed to the nozzle I! in relation to variations in viscosity for different kinds of paste to maintain a substantially uniform flow of the paste regardless of its consistency.

The amount of paste fed to the nozzle "can be regulated by means of an adjusting valve 34 located in the duct ii near the discharge orifice of housing. i2. Valve it may be turned by handle bar 35 to vary the flow of paste supplied to the nozzle i! in cont to its pres- The entire paste-applying device is driven by means of a main shaft 3! suitably coupled to the pastor drive shaft i9. Shaft 38 is provided with a gear 81 (Fig. lldriven by a gear train (not shown) from the main drive of the cigarette machine.

While, as mentioned above, the paster may feedstarch paste of. a highly viscous nature, it is suited for thinner starch pastes or casein pastes, or wherever a paster with the described characteristics is required outside the cigarette machine art, as in wrapping.

What is claimed is:

1. In a paste-applying device, the combination with a paste reservoir having an outlet, of a gear-housing communicating with said outlet, a pair of intermeshing gears supported by said housing in positions below said outlet, a nozzle on said housing, said housing being provided with an orifice leading from the meshing teeth of said gears to said nozzle, a rotary propeller within said reservoir acting to force the paste storedtherein down between the intermeshing teeth of said gears and thus prevent cavitation of the paste in the spaces between said meshing teeth, said gears coacting to deliver an oversupply of paste to said orifice, said housing being also provided with a by-pass connecting said orifice and reservoir, an adjustable relief valve controlling the return flow of the oversupply of paste through the by-pass to said reservoir, whereby the relief valve may be set to assure a uniform fiow'of the paste through the nozzle regardless of variations in its consistency,

an adjusting valve in said orifice to vary the flow of the paste to said nozzle, and a plug inserted into the outer end of said nozzle and provided with a narrow slot so that the width of the paste stripe applied by said nozzle may be varied by turning the nozzle.

2. The combination with a paste reservoir having an outlet, of a gear-housing communicating with said outlet, a pair of intermeshing gears supported by said housing in positions below said outlet, a nozzle on said housing, said housing being provided with an orifice leading from the meshing teeth of said gears to said nozzle, and said gears. coacting to deliver an oversupply of paste to said orifice, a by-pass connecting said orifice and reservoir, an adjustable relief valve controlling the return flow of the oversupply of paste through said by-pass to said reservoir, whereby the relief valve may be set to assure a uniform flow of paste through the nozzle regardless of its consistency, and a plug inserted into the outer end of said nozzle and provided with a narrow slot so that the width of the paste stripe applied by said nozzle may be varied by turning the nozzle.

3. In a paste-applying device, the combination witha paste reservoir, of a rotatable nozzle in communication with said reservoir, and mechanism co-acting with said reservoir to force paste from the reservoir through said nozzle, said nozzle having a slot through which the paste passes so that the width of the paste stripe applied by said nozzle may be varied by turning the nozzle to change the position of the slot.

4. In a paste-applying device, the combination with a paste reservoir, of a rotatable nozzle in communication with said reservoir, mechanism co-acting with said reservoir to force paste from the reservoir through said nozzle, said nozzle having a slot through which the paste passes so that the width of the paste stripe applied zle having a slot through which the paste passes so that the width of the paste stripe applied by said nozzle may be varied by turning the nozzle to change the position of the slot, and said mechanism comprising a pair of intermeshing gears arranged to receive paste from said reservoir and deliver it to said nozzle.

6. In a paster for cigarette machines, the combination with a nozzle having an aperture in the form of a narrow slot arranged to engage with the traveling strip. of cigarette paper, of a paste reservoir, means for supplying paste from said reservoir to said nozzle for application to the cigarette paper, and mechanism mounting said nozzle for rotation about anaxis transverse to said slot whereby the width of the paste stripe applied by said nozzle may be varied by turning the nozzle to change the, position of the slot.

7. An appliance for dispensing a pasty material, said appliance comprising a paste reservoir, an extrusion nozzle in communication withsaid reservoir by means of a delivery duct, 9. pair of intermeshing delivery gears adapted to force paste from, the reservoir through said duct directly to said nozzle, means to regulate the rate of extrusion through said nozzle, means to actuate said gears to feed material from the reservoir in excess of the demand by said nozzle,

a tap on the delivery duct between the delivery gears and the extrusion nozzle, and a by-pass duct leading back to the reservoir from said tap, to provide for re-circulation of said material in excess of the demand. a

8. A paste-dispensing appliance having the features claimed in claim 7, in which said reservoir is recessed to afford bearings for said gears and said feeding mechanism includes a shaft with an arm swinging around an axis disposed suitably to cause the arm to sweep paste into the recess, acting to load the inter-tooth spaces of 9. An appliance for dispensing a. pasty material: said appliance comprising a paste reservoir;

an extrusion nozzle in communication with said reservoir by means of a delivery duct; 9, single pair of intermeshing delivery gears adapted to force paste from the reservoir through said delivery duct directly to said nozzle; said duct, having a valve through which the paste passes so that the flow of the paste to said nozzle may be varied at will; a tap on the delivery duct located between said valve and the pair of gears. and a by-pass duct leading back to the'reservoir from saidtap, to provide for re-circulation of a moiety of said pasty material in excess of a predetermined nozzle demand; means to actuate said gearsto feed an oversupply to the delivery duct normally; andmeanstofeeddirectlytosaidgears fromthe' reservoir a positive flow of pasty material adequate to maintain a plenum supply of material for loading thgears, thus serving to avoid cavitation in the supply of paste at the region of gear action.

10. A paste-dispensing appliance having the features claimed in claim 9, in which said flowregulating means includes a ball valve biased by a spring to close said by-pass, and opening said.

by-pass under a predetermined pressure by the pasty material, and means to change the tension' of the spring to modulate suchpressure responsive action.

11. In a paste-applying device, the combination with a paste reservoir having an outlet, of a gear housing communicating with said outlet,

a pair of intermeshing gears supported by said housing directly below said outlet, said housing being provided with an extrusion orifice and a delivery duct leading directly thereto from the said reservoir acting to force the paste stored therein directly down into'the space between the intermeshing teeth of said gears, thus acting to load the intertooth spaces of each gear and also serving to prevent cavitation of the paste in the space between the divergently rotating portions of the gears, said gears co-acting to deliver an oversupply of paste from their convergently rotating underparts through said delivery duct to said orifice, said housing being also provided with a by-pass duct extending back to said reservoir from said tap, an adjustable relief valve controlling the return flow of the oversupply of paste through the by-pass to said reservoir, said valve being disposed between said duct and said by-pass, and means whereby the relief valve may be set to assure a uniform flow of the paste through the extrusion orifice regardless of variations in its consistency.

12. The combination with a paste reservoir leading thereto from the meshing teeth of said gears, and co-acting with said gears to deliver an oversupply of paste to said duct, 9. by-pass connecting said duct and reservoir, an adjustable relief valve controlling the return flow of the oversupply of paste through said by-pass to said reservoir, whereby the relief valve may be set to assure a uniform flow of paste through the orifice resarless of its consistency, and an adjusting valve in said duct to vary the flow of paste through said orifice.

13. In a paste-applying device, the combination with a paste reservoir, of a delivery duct leading from the reservoir and having an extrusion orifice, mechanism co-acting withsaid reservoirto force an oversupply of paste from the reservoir through said duct toward said orifice, devices providing a return conduit between said duct and said reservoir, at the pressure side of the orifice, and a relief valve controlling the return flow of any oversupply of paste through the return conduit to said reservoir whereby any excess of 1 paste at the orifice will be relieved.

sums w. may. 

